A great deal of mirth and ribbing has been directed at CNN’s Jake Tapper in recent days over his co-authoring of a tell-all blockbuster book about how awful he and his colleagues are at their jobs.

But last week, during one of his approximately 27 million TV appearances to hawk, ‘Original Sin,’ the book on the Biden administration’s lies that he dashed off with Axios’ Alex Thompson as soon as the 2024 election was over, Tapper said something that was so close to really understanding his subject and his job that it almost hurt.

Appearing on CBS News, Tapper said, ‘So, there were people reporting on what they saw. The conservative media was, to their credit, all over this. Now, they didn’t have insider information, but they were just making sense of all the clips, and all of the weird moments, and off-putting moments.’

What Tapper misses here is that conservative media didn’t get it right in regard to Joe Biden’s obvious and abject unfitness for office in spite of not having insider information, they got it right because they were not relying on insider information.

In Tapper’s twisted view of journalism, and it is one widely shared, the evidence we see with our own eyes is not sufficient. Instead, it isn’t news until some whistleblower spills the beans, which puts all the power in the hands of sources.

Since the Watergate scandal of the 1970s, everything has to be a Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein-style scoop. A story isn’t real without some turncoat in the administration, even though they, too, have agendas.

Obviously, the big problem here is that all of Tapper and Thompson’s sources spent years deceiving them and the American people, but now, suddenly, we are expected to believe everything these same serial liars say.

Sorry. Not happening. 

Let’s take the tempting tale being spun by Tapper and Thompson now that it was actually first son Hunter Biden who was running the show. It’s delicious, maybe the crack-addled Burisma executive really is the smartest man Joe ever met. The artist behind the curtain.

However, and call me a cynic if you will, this particular version of events just so happens to be the one that paints Tapper and Thompson’s insider sources in the best possible light.

Basically, what these insiders are saying is, ‘Man, we really tried to do the right thing, but that Hunter, he just blocked us at every chance, which is too bad because he has a pardon for anything he did with the autopen now, but what can you do?’

And once again, Tapper and Thompson just eagerly write it all down as if they were standing atop Mt. Sinai taking dictation of the Ten Commandments from God.

The bottom line is that even if you are a generous soul inclined to trust Tapper and Thompson, only a fool would trust their insider sources. So honestly, what is the point of even reading the book?

This speaks to a much deeper problem with journalism which tends to frame all political coverage as a government that is lying and intrepid reporters sussing out the actual truth when that is almost never what actually happens.

Instead, these journalists confuse sourcing with access, so all their ‘sources’ are people advancing their agenda. Now, suddenly, the agenda is to pile on Biden and salvage our reputations (for media AND insiders). 

George Orwell said, ‘Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.’

Tapper and Thompson have both been doing a lot of PR for Democrats for a very long time.

A source, especially an anonymous source, is almost by definition only telling a reporter something they want the reporter to print. It can sometimes be helpful, but it is never the whole story.

The hilarious final twist in all of this is that in Donald Trump, we have a president who takes more questions than the average corporate call center and owns everything the press accuses him of from sending migrants to El Salvadoran jails to holding Crypto Balls at his resort. It’s all just out in the open.

The age of post-Watergate ‘gotcha’ journalism has driven the industry off of a cliff. Nobody believes what journalists say because they are just mouthpieces for those in power.

The primary job of the journalist isn’t to pry out some hidden information being kept from people; They aren’t detectives. It is to accurately report on and analyze what we know is happening.

In that regard, the coverage of Joe Biden’s decline, his clear inability to serve, is arguably the worst journalism that ever been attempted. Tapper and Thompson couldn’t see what was right in front of their face because they were convinced there had to be something deeper, something hidden. 

It is time to turn the page and get back to a journalism that deals in reality, not speculation. Until that happens, Americans have no reason to believe anything the Jake Tappers and Alex Thompsons of the world tell them.

It was hard to concentrate in my congressional office because I could overhear a lively interview with conservative media host Glenn Beck through the thin wall. You might assume I work for a Republican, but I’m chief of staff to progressive California Congressman Ro Khanna.

What if I told you it was one of our best interviews in recent months? 

They disagreed on President Trump’s deportation efforts and USAID funding, but they agreed on revitalizing manufacturing and leading against China. The headline for the interview read, ‘Progressive Democrat sits down with Glenn Beck despite disagreements: ‘We’re all Team America.’’ We agreed he’d return soon.

There’s debate about whether Democrats need a stronger message or more robust left-wing media. But what Democrats really need is to relearn the art of persuasion—not just crafting a compelling message, but figuring out how to make it cut through today’s crowded media landscape.

Democrats don’t need a ‘left-wing Joe Rogan.’ We need to persuade the real one, along with Americans nationwide, that we share common ground and are worth supporting. 

I know it’s possible because I saw Ro begin that process with Glenn Beck. They didn’t agree on everything, but the conversation opened a door. That’s persuasion: not instant conversion, but showing up, listening, and finding places to start.

Our leaders are too often surrounded by chattering consultants obsessed with poll-tested messages and terrified of ruffling feathers. Every morning, I get dozens of emails urging me to tell Americans that MAGA Republicans are trying to take away their healthcare. I believe it! But it takes more than one line to convince people. We need specifics, facts, and a clear vision of what Democrats stand for.

Ro has been building this foundation for years. He’s traveled to dozens of states, partnering with Silicon Valley to expand tech opportunities, and since the election, held town halls in Republican districts—not to preach, but to listen. At a recent Allentown, Pennsylvania, event, Ro spoke with the Trump supporters protesting outside about his bipartisan bill to lower prescription drug costs. By the end, they came inside—and applauded. 

Having a message is just the first step. The next challenge is breaking through today’s media ecosystem—can it go viral on social media, get picked up by the press, or reach broader audiences, and still land? Amplification matters equally.

It’s undeniable that Republicans have invested significantly more time and resources into building a powerful online ecosystem to reach voters. To overcome that right now, Democrats need to be fearless. Flood the zone, reach people where they are, win them over. Download TikTok, hire a talented, chronically online 22-year-old to post on subreddits, and create a Substack. Talk to Mehdi Hasan in the morning and Laura Ingraham in the evening. Write an op-ed for Fox News Digital.

It’s not about giving anyone a platform or legitimacy—their platforms already exist, and their audiences view them as legitimate. It’s about using those platforms to share our message and tailoring how we communicate to different audiences without compromising our values.

We also need to balance between viral moments with nuanced messages about complicated issues. Ro’s prescription drug bill has gained traction on X and Reddit. But his core vision—a new economic patriotism focused on 21st century solutions for the economic success of every community including new factories and AI academies—hasn’t taken off online the same way. Yet, in longer-form interviews and podcasts, it’s met with enthusiasm. Both messages matter, and we need to find the right time and place for each.

After all, Joe Rogan supported Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential election. When he drifted toward Donald Trump, we shrugged and said he was gone for good. Why not try again with a tailored message and an eye toward persuasion? 

Joe, if you’re reading this, I have a pitch for you. 

President Donald Trump told journalists that he was ‘not happy’ with Russia’s recent large-scale strike against Ukraine while speaking to the press on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey, Trump accused Putin of ‘killing a lot of people’ in the attack, which was launched on Sunday afternoon.

‘I’m not happy with what Putin is doing,’ Trump explained. ‘He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin.’ 

‘I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all,’ he added.

Trump said that Putin was ‘shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities’ in the middle of negotiations.

‘I don’t like what Putin is doing. Not even a little bit,’ the president emphasized. ‘He’s killing people. And something happened to this guy.’

Trump’s comments came after Russian forces launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities overnight. The attack, which has been called the largest aerial attack of the war so far, targeted the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials said that at least 12 people were killed and dozens more were injured.

Though past strikes have proven more deadly, the attack is the largest-scale aerial assault of the war in terms of the number of weapons: 298 drones and 69 missiles were launched.

In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for an international response to the attack.

‘The silence of America, the silence of others in the world only encourages Putin,’ he wrote on Telegram. ‘Every such terrorist Russian strike is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia.’

Reuters and Fox News Digital’s Brooke Curto and Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump backed several House Republicans for reelection in Truth Social posts on Sunday, expressing support for Reps. Andrew Garbarino of New York, Troy Downing of Montana, Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin.

Each lawmaker received an individual post from Trump, and each post declared that the given lawmaker has Trump’s endorsement.

Republicans currently hold the majority in the House, but the 2026 midterms will determine whether the GOP maintains control of the chamber during the tail end of Trump’s second term in office.

Trump’s show of support for Garbarino comes after the congressman failed to cast a vote on the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ that passed the House last week. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson said that ‘Garbarino did not make it in time,’ but had fallen asleep.

‘I am proud to have been the leading voice on Long Island during negotiations on this key reconciliation bill. I fought to lift the cap on SALT and ensure hardworking Long Island families see the benefits of this important legislation. I was moments away from the House floor, to vote ‘yes,’ when the vote was closed,’ Garbarino said in a statement, according to reports. 

‘While I am frustrated that the vote was closed before I was able to cast my vote, I am proud of the work we accomplished to deliver huge results for Long Island. I congratulate President Trump on getting this bill passed and look forward to voting ‘yes’ when it comes back to the House floor from the Senate,’ Garbarino noted.

Fox News Digital reached out to Garbarino’s office on Monday morning but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

‘Thank you, Mr. President, it’s an honor to serve NY-02,’ Garbarino said in a Sunday night post on X in response to the president’s endorsment.

Despite assurances from Trump administration officials that farmers will not be impacted by its attempts to reduce environmental chemical exposure from foods, agricultural leaders have been expressing concern that the move will explode costs for farmers and more than double the cost of food. 

The administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, made up of many of President Donald Trump’s political appointees and closest policy advisors, released an assessment strategizing how they will tackle childhood chronic diseases, such as obesity and mental health challenges. Part of the report’s focus is on children’s chemical exposure from our foods, which the report says is linked to developmental issues and chronic diseases.   

Amid the report’s release, farm groups have expressed concern over the MAHA agenda’s focus on pesticides. They have said that if the administration starts clamping down on widely used pesticides, crop yields would decline, input costs would surge and food costs would more than double.

‘Farmers are already facing a host of challenges—uncertainty about their access to critical crop protection products shouldn’t be added to the list,’ said Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Executive Director of the Modern Ag Alliance. ‘Crop protection tools are not only safe, they are essential to food security, affordability, and the survival of family farms all across this country. Losing access to these critical inputs would be a devastating setback to American agriculture.’

Officials from the MAHA Commission sought to reassure farmers at an event releasing their assessment on childhood chronic diseases on Thursday. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that ‘at the center’ of the MAHA agenda is ‘making American agriculture great again.’

‘We love our farmers, and we want to pay respect to our farmers. And we always will,’ President Trump added at the Thursday event from the White House. ‘We won the farmers by a lot in the election, and every election, all three elections – and we won by a lot. I will never forget that. And they are foremost in our thought.’

But some farmers are still expressing concern.

‘The Make America Healthy Again Report is filled with fear-based rather than science-based information about pesticides. We are deeply troubled that claims of this magnitude are being made without any scientific basis or regard for a long history of EPA expert evaluations of these products,’ the National Corn Grower’s Alliance (NCGA) said. ‘We call on the administration to respect the existing body of science on pesticides and, moving forward, to include America’s farmers in discussion as this process evolves.’ 

According to a statement put out by the Modern Ag Alliance, pesticides are ‘rigorously tested’ by the federal government, noting that in the case of glyphosate – mentioned multiple times in the MAHA report – it is one of the most thoroughly studied pesticides of its kind. 

They said that if the MAHA report drives future policy decisions it would hurt farmers and more than double the cost of food.

‘Without glyphosate—the most widely used weed-fighting tool by U.S. farmers—crop yields would decline, input costs would surge by 150%, and food inflation would more than double,’ the group said. ‘When Sri Lanka prohibited the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers in 2021, crop yields fell by over 50%, forcing the government to import massive amounts of food just to meet basic needs. We should be focused on moving American agriculture—and the country—forward.’

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been a vocal opponent against the dangerous health impacts of under-regulated pesticides even before he was the MAHA Commission’s leader, said last week in a Senate hearing that ‘we cannot take any step that will put a single farmer in this country out of business.’

‘There’s a million farmers who rely on glyphosate,’ he said. ‘100% of corn in this country relies on glyphosate. We are not going to do anything to jeopardize that business model.’ 

The MAHA report reiterates the economic importance of protecting farmers, but it also lists glyphosate in an infographic of ‘Chemical Classes and Common Exposure Pathways’ and says research studies have shown it can cause a range of health effects. It also lists atrazine and other chemicals as dangerous to childhood health.   

MAHA Commission officials have said that part of the administration’s focus will be a return to the gold standard of science, but the NCGA said the focus on certain widely-used pesticides, such as atrazine and glyphosate, goes against ‘decades of extensive research and testing.’

‘If the administration’s goal is to bring more efficiency to government, then why is the secretary of Health and Human Services duplicating efforts by raising questions about pesticides that have been answered repeatedly through research and reviews by federal regulatory bodies?’ the group questioned.

Jennifer Galardi, a senior policy analyst focused on health and wellness issues at the Heritage Foundation, took a more balanced view of the MAHA commission’s strategy towards pesticides like glyphosate, noting that it appeared to thread the needle between supporting farmers and trying to ensure America’s food supply is safe and free of chemicals that could impact child health. 

‘The MAHA Commission Report seems to carefully examine competing issues in a very complex agricultural debate: the potential that crop protection tools as they’re referred to in the report may cause adverse health outcomes and the desire to protect the economic interests of farmers and the country,’ Galardi said. ‘However, everyone should agree that the companies that manufacture products such as glyphosate and GMO’s shouldn’t have undue influence over the research upon which sound policy is based. The American public should demand transparency around these decisions.’

Galardi posited that, due to the tension around the issue of pesticides, the MAHA Commission may decide to go after ‘low-hanging fruit,’ such as improving children’s diets and lack of physical activity, which, she said, are big drivers of obesity and metabolic dysfunction.

In response to this article, a USDA spokesperson sent the following statement from Secretary Rollins:

‘We must do more to improve the health outcomes of our kids and families, and President Trump knows agriculture is at the heart of the solution. America’s farmers and ranchers dedicate their lives to the noble cause of feeding their country and the world, and in doing so have created the safest and most abundant and affordable food supply in the world. We are working to make sure our kids and families are consuming the healthiest food we produce. I look forward to continuing to work with Secretary Kennedy and other members of the MAHA Commission to improve our nation’s health.’

White House spokesman Kush Desai, in a separate statement, echoed Rollins’ sentiment about the importance of agriculture and farmers when it comes to executing the MAHA mission. He also reiterated that the MAHA movement is grounded in ‘Gold Standard of Science.’

‘The guiding principle of President Trump’s movement to Make America Healthy Again is the Gold Standard of Science, and everyone from America’s farmers to everyday parents are critical for the success of this movement,’ Desai said. ‘The MAHA Commission’s report is a historic step by our government to, for the first time, comprehensively review the latest evidence and research of what we know – and what we don’t know – is driving the health crisis afflicting America’s children.’